Relevant Undergraduate Courses

Introduction to Anthropology. An introduction to the discipline of anthropology through the examination of its four sub-fields: archaeology, physical anthropology, sociocultural anthropology and linguistics. Fall, Spring. Instructor: deRuiter, Gursky-Doyen, Athreya

Introduction to Bioenvironmental Sciences. An introduction to global environmental issues with an emphasis on human impacts and the importance of biological processes. (core curriculum). Fall, Spring. Instructor: Wilkinson, DeWitt

BESC 367

U.S. Enivironmental Regulations. Investigation of the legal infrastructure of the U.S. associated with regulating environmental impacts; examination of major U.S. environmental statutes associated with air and water quality, toxic substances, waste and hazardous substance release, energy and natural resources; review the relationship between U.S. policy and international environmental regulations. May be taken 2 times for credit. Prerequisites: BESC 201 and junior or senior classification. Instructor: Wilkinson

BIOL 214

Genes, Ecology, and Evolution. A genetically-based introduction to the study of ecology and evolution; emphasis on the interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment. Prerequisite: BIOL 112. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Varies

Invertebrate Zoology. Course includes study of all invertebrate phyla likely to be encountered by the student, with emphasis on local representatives. Systematic relationships, anatomy, comparative physiology, embryological and larval development and natural history are covered. The class includes lecture sessions and a mandatory on-campus laboratory. The laboratory includes examination of preserved material as well as demonstrations of living animals in aquaria or terraria. Prerequisite is introductory biology or an equivalent course. Spring. Instructor: Wicksten

BIOL 357

Ecology. Analysis of ecosystems at organismal, population, interspecific and community levels. BIOL 358 is the laboratory for this lecture course. Prerequisite: BIOL 112 or approval of instructor. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Baumgardner

BIOL 358

Ecology Laboratory. Quantitative analysis of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, to include data sampling and presentation of results in written and oral formats. Required field trips. Analysis of competition and predator-prey interactions using ecological models. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Baumgardner

BIOL 400

Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica. Advanced field course taught at multiple field stations in Costa Rica emphasizing biological, ecological, natural history and philosophical attributes of tropical ecosystems. Students develop skills needed to plan and conduct a field-orientated research project. Upon completion of the project, students present the results in written and poster formats. Summer. Instructor: Baumgardner

BIOL 440

Marine Biology. An ecological approach to marine biology with emphasis on habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. The laboratory section includes a mandatory weekend field trip to Port Aransas. Students learn the basic principles of local marine habitats and their characteristic inhabitants, as well as use of common techniques of data measurement, collecting and documentation in the natural habitat. On-campus work includes examination of living animals in aquaria and use of our large collection of marine specimens and ecological samples. Fall. Instructor: Wicksten

BIOL 466

Principles of Evolution. Evolutionary patterns, mechanisms and processes at the organismal, chromosomal and molecular levels; modes of adaptation and the behavior of genes in populations. Prerequisite: GENE302 or approval of instructor. Spring. Instructor: Greenbaum

BIOL 481

Introduction to Biogeography. A one hour seminar course, which gives a broad overview of classical biogeography. The course begins with a review of the history and science of biogeography, then covers geologic history of the earth, followed by topics such as species formation and extinction, vicariance and dispersal, and reconstructing the history of lineages. Fall. Instructor: Baumgardner

ENTO 201

Introduction to Entomology. Fall. Instructor: Medina

ENTO 301

Biodiversity and Biology of Insects. An introduction to the orders and most important families of insects, with emphasis on natural history and identification of common and important families. Working with the instructors in extensive, supervised field experiences and lab work, students complete a collection of representative insect families. Spring. Instructor: Wharton, Woolley

ENTO 305

Evolution of Insect Structure. External morphology of insects; evolution of form and function. Fall. Instructor: Wharton

Field Entomology. Field Entomology is designed as a non-traditional, experiential-learning, course centered around the concept of developing and carrying out a small-scale field research project. Fall. Instructor: Oswald.

FRSC 304

Forest Ecology. Life history and general characteristics of trees; structure and function of forest ecosystems; fundamental principles of forest tree physiology and ecology applied to an analysis of tree growth in relation to environmental factors and present day forest management; global changes and forests. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor.

GEOG 203

Planet Earth. Patterns of climate, landforms, and organisms over the earth. Instructor varies.

Resources and the Environment. Changing demand for land and sea resources; international conditions of population growth, resource depletion and geopolitical control; resource perceptions and decision-making. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Millington, Heyman

GEOG 335

Pattern and Process in Biogeography. Environmental, cultural, and historical influences on the distribution of organisms over the Earth. Emphasis is on ecological biogeography. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Cairns, Lafon

Introduction to Oceanography. Overview of the ocean environment; interrelation of the subdisciplines of ocean sciences; importance of the oceans to human beings; human impact on the oceans. Honors sections are also available. Prerequisite: Concurrent registration in OCNG 252 if necessary for meeting the 8 credit hour science core curriculum requirement.

OCNG 420

Introduction to Biological Oceanography. Biological aspects of the marine environment; marine organisms; productivity of the sea; marine pollution and fouling; use of the sea. Prerequisites: BIOL 114 or OCNG 251; junior or senior classification

Fundamentals of Ecology Laboratory. Sampling and estimating plant-animal populations, measuring environmental factors and recognizing and studying morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations of plants and animals to biotic or abiotic influences.

RLEM 305

Watershed Analysis and Planning. Provide an integrated framework for watershed planning that addresses the related biophysical, social and economic issues; comprehensive in scope and approach giving students the tools and techniques for developing sound watershed management policy and practice; water issues, problems and regulations for Texas.

Fire Ecology & Natural Resource Management. Introduction to the major aspects of wildland fire science including theoretical, empirical and practical components of fire research and management in a variety of ecosystems. Through formal lectures, multi-media presentations, assigned readings and group discussions we will cover a broad spectrum of the classic and current scientific fire literature. We will also attempt to provide you with hands-on prescribed burning experiences as circumstances and weather permit. Following successful completion of this course, you should be able to discuss the ecological effects of fire in different ecosystems, identify the factors that control wildland fire behavior, justify the use of prescribed burning, write an acceptable prescribed burning plan, conduct a search for pertinent wildland fire science literature and critically review and analyze research and management endeavors utilizing fire.

RLEM 420

Ecological Restoration of Wetland and Riparian Systems. Steps in ecological restoration include problem identification, restoration design, implementation, and assessment; students in rangeland and other natural resources disciplines will relate fundamentals of ecology to steps in restoration of wetlands and riparian systems through interdisciplinary approaches, case studies, and field trips to restoration sites.

RLEM 430

Advanced Restoration Ecology. Students in natural resources disciplines will practice translating and communicating key ecological concepts to advanced case studies in Ecological Restoration. Such practice shall enhance these skills for professional applications. Students will 1) Relate Restoration Ecology to current management practices and applications; 2) Constructively critique the methods, results and interpretation of scientific publications ;3) Translate and communicate scientific concepts to applications pertinent to restoration practitioners; 4) Demonstrate clear, concise writing suitable for a professional audience; 5) Extend key concepts to solve novel land management problems; 6) Acknowledge novel concepts are often complex and dynamic and that assimilation of new information is a part of lifelong learning

Wildlife Conservation and Management. Introduction to ecological principles used to conserve and manage wildlife and fisheries resources. Specific topics include historical problems and the roots of conservation, important legislation, major threats to biodiversity, approaches to solving conservation problems, and societal and ethical aspects of conservation.

WFSC 300

Dominica Study Abroad Courses in Tropical Field Ecology. Integration of principles of animal and plant ecology with environmental factors to characterize wildlife populations. Intensive analysis of specific areas will emphasize either the development of a wildlife management plan or a general vertebrate natural history survey. Prerequisite: Prior approval of instructor.

WFSC 311

Ichthyology. Introduction to the study of fishes, their biology, classification, evolution, distribution, ecology and economic importance.

WFSC 315

Herpetology. Evolutionary ecology of reptiles and amphibians and conservation biology of the major groups; labs concentrate on the global diversity of herps and the herpetofauna of Texas; foundation for students in wildlife science and biology; two overnight field trips and one day trip are required.

WFSC 316

Field Herpetology. Field work involving collection and preservation of herpetological specimens; natural history, ecological relations.

WFSC 327

Introduction to Wildlife Diseases. Basic mechanisms of diseases as they occur in wildlife populations; interplay of habitat requirements, individual physiological requirements and disease producing mechanisms of varied wildlife species

Animal Ecology. Concepts of animal ecology which emerge at various levels of organization; the ecosystem, the community, the population and the individual; laboratories emphasis on the quantitative analysis of field data and the simulation of population dynamics. Prerequisites: WFSC201 and RENR 205 or approval of instructor; junior classification.*

Ethology. (WFSC 422/632) – 3-hour upper-level undergraduate/graduate course which is available both on-campus (web-assisted) and web-based. This course will explore the “science behind the myths” of animal behavior in natural settings. Diverse examples are organized in four parts of the course: Animal Minds, Social, Mating & Physical. Throughout each of these parts, the following concepts will be clarified: Cause, Development, Evolution & Function. Inquiry activities engage participants in the scientific method and positive problem solving.

Invertebrate Zoology. Morphology, taxonomy, natual history and phylogeny of invertebrate animals, with emphasis on biodiversity; class includes both lecture and lab. Labs include study of preserved material and demonstration of living animals in aquaria and terraria. Prerequisite: BIOL 112 or approval of instructor.